302. New Shoe Sway

“It is an amazing thing, the difference to one's powers of concentration a pair of comfortable shoes can make.”

- Laurie R. King

yeah for new shoes :)

301. Natural Sway

"There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more."

- George Gordon

Lord Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage

300. Four Lokos Baker Sway

En route to a relaxing and fun-filled Baker weekend w/ Kenji, Chuckie, and the cuzzo CJ!

We discovered this special can of "goodness" in the middle of a random hole in the wall mini mart near Deming...

BAKER! BAKER! BAKER!

299. Quoted Sway

"Personal growth and increased confidence take place when we are testing the limits of our lives."
- Thomas Paine, inventor

298. Baby Dyson has arrived

Congratulations to Sherri and Radar
Baby Dyson has arrived!

...presenting...

Dyson Radar Edwards

Born January 27, 2010 @ 2:20pm

8 lbs 9 oz and 22 inches long

"A new baby is like the beginning of all things-wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities." - Eda J. Le Shan

297. State of the Union Sway

Last night President Barack Obama spoke to the nation in his State of the Union Address.  I found his words to be hopeful, uplifting, and inspiring.  He hit all the main the points but I wanted to highlight a few in my blog.

"We are part of the American family. We believe that in a country where every race and faith and point of view can be found, we are still bound together as one people; that we share common hopes and a common creed; that the dreams of a little girl in Tucson are not so different than those of our own children, and that they all deserve the chance to be fulfilled."

"The future is ours to win. But to get there, we can’t just stand still. As Robert Kennedy told us, “The future is not a gift. It is an achievement.” Sustaining the American Dream has never been about standing pat. It has required each generation to sacrifice, and struggle, and meet the demands of a new age.

And now it’s our turn. We know what it takes to compete for the jobs and industries of our time. We need to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world.  We have to make America the best place on Earth to do business. We need to take responsibility for our deficit and reform our government. That’s how our people will prosper. That’s how we’ll win the future. And tonight, I’d like to talk about how we get there."

"That responsibility begins not in our classrooms, but in our homes and communities. It’s family that first instills the love of learning in a child. Only parents can make sure the TV is turned off and homework gets done. We need to teach our kids that it’s not just the winner of the Super Bowl who deserves to be celebrated, but the winner of the science fair.  We need to teach them that success is not a function of fame or PR, but of hard work and discipline."

"But now that the worst of the recession is over, we have to confront the fact that our government spends more than it takes in. That is not sustainable. Every day, families sacrifice to live within their means. They deserve a government that does the same."

"We may have differences in policy, but we all believe in the rights enshrined in our Constitution. We may have different opinions, but we believe in the same promise that says this is a place where you can make it if you try. We may have different backgrounds, but we believe in the same dream that says this is a country where anything is possible. No matter who you are. No matter where you come from.


That dream is why I can stand here before you tonight. That dream is why a working-class kid from Scranton can sit behind me.  That dream is why someone who began by sweeping the floors of his father’s Cincinnati bar can preside as Speaker of the House in the greatest nation on Earth."

 "From the earliest days of our founding, America has been the story of ordinary people who dare to dream. That’s how we win the future."

President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address

in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.,

Jan. 25, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Official State of the Union Site

Read the Transcript Here

296. Tiny Sway

Happy Birthday to our joyful friend Matt aka Tiny aka Matt-tastic

May your year bring you many laughs, new shoes, and more Friday Dinners!

Tiny and his birthday shirt designed by Mikey Huff and Stuff

295. Progressive Sway

"Progress always involves risk; you can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first."
- Frederick Wilcox

294. Sunset Sway

Sun setting over the open road... 

293. Van Wilder Sway

"I'm still looking for that dare-to-be-great situation."


Ryan Reynolds as Van Wilder, in Van Wilder (2002)

292. Gods Sway

The past few days have been very trying to say the least.  It has been stressful, emotional, sleepless, draining, and whatever other adjectives you can think of to describe the feeling of putting the weight of the world on your shoulders.  I found relief and comfort in a saying that I caught a glimpse of earlier today...  If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.  I tend to forget that I am not alone in all the things that I do.  I need to take more time to stop and let things escape; let things go instead of trying to hold on to them in hopes of keep it from affecting others.  God is not testing my faith, he's just reminding me of my strength. 

291. Flashback Sway

I had to do a post about this picture.  I have NEVER laughed so hard at work until I saw the back of my coworkers tie.  Alexi and I always joke about how a lot of things were "before my time".  I think he was under the assumption that I wouldn't know the store when he asked me.  The second I read "OAKTREE" I had a hundred random flashbacks of Westlake Center in downtown Seattle.  Oaktree was on the first level right before JW and below the Disney Store.  I was in middle school with my Jansport backpack bouncing off my butt with my initial belt buckle hanging my belt end around my knees.  I was wearing a HUGE polo shirt and jeans that I had borrowed from my dads closet and my maroon chuck taylors.  YIKES!  The flashbacks prompted a long conversation about fashion mishaps, stores, styles, and places from that era.  After doing some math - we came to realize that the tie is approximately 17 years old at this point.

I wanted to share this with you only because it took me on a flashback journey and I loved recapping that time.  All it took was an "OAKTREE" label... may you all have fun flashbacks at some point.

290. Forward Sway

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. "
- Walt Disney

289. D-Dub Sway

Laugh all you want - yes I follow Donnie Wahlberg on twitter... matter of fact - I follow ALL of the New Kids on the Block on Twitter!  Don't judge me, they are my guilty pleasure I suppose.  Anyways - I woke up and saw this tweet and I felt inspired and motivated to get out of bed and start my day.  The icon does help too *blush*

DonnieWahlberg: Today is here! Take what u want from yesterday & throw out the rest! This is your chance to start anew. So do something great with it!

288. MLK Sway

"If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward."

— Martin Luther King Jr.

287. Princess and the Frog Sway

I finally watched the Disney movie The Princess & The Frog.  It was a very cute and fun movie with the typical Disney fairytale twist.  My favorite scene is below...

"And I'm almost there, I'm almost there

People down here think I'm crazy, but I don't care

Trials and tribulations, I've had my share

There ain't nothing gonna stop me now, cause I'm almost there"

286. Pope John Paul Sway

Pope John Paul to Be Beatified in May

from: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/01/13/evidence-mounts-john-paul-ii-beatification/# 

During his 2005 funeral Mass, crowds at the Vatican shouted for Pope John Paul II to be made a saint immediately, chanting "Santo Subito!" for one of the most important and beloved popes in history.

His successor heard their call and on Friday, in the fastest process on record, set May 1 as the date for John Paul's beatification -- a key step toward Catholicism's highest honor and a major morale boost for a church reeling from the clerical sex abuse scandal.

Pope Benedict XVI set the date after declaring that a French nun's recovery from Parkinson's disease was the miracle needed for John Paul to be beatified. A second miracle is needed for the Polish-born John Paul to be made a saint.

The May 1 ceremony -- which Benedict himself will celebrate -- is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to Rome for a precedent-setting Mass: never before has a pope beatified his immediate predecessor.

Though the numbers aren't expected to necessarily reach the 3 million who flocked here for John Paul's funeral, religious tour operators in his native Poland were already making preparations to bus and fly in the faithful to celebrate a man many considered a saint while alive.

"We have waited a long time and this is a great day for us," said Mayor Ewa Filipiak of John Paul's hometown of Wadowice, Poland, where the faithful lit candles Friday and prayed at a chapel in the town church dedicated to John Paul.

Father Pawel Danek, who runs a museum in John Paul's family home, said Benedict had listened to the prayers of the faithful.

"The Holy Father has confirmed what we all felt somehow," he said. "For us, John Paul II's holiness is obvious."

Benedict put John Paul on the fast track to possible sainthood just weeks after he died, waiving the typical five-year waiting period before the process could begin. But he insisted that the investigation into John Paul's life be thorough to avoid any doubts about his virtues.

The beatification will nevertheless be the fastest on record, coming just over six years after his death and beating out Mother Teresa's then-record beatification in 2003 by a few days.

It is not without controversy, however. While John Paul himself was never accused of improprieties, he has long been accused of responding slowly when the sex abuse scandal erupted in the United States in 2002. Many of the thousands of cases that emerged last year involved crimes and cover-ups that occurred on his 26-year watch.

Critics have faulted John Paul's overriding concern with preserving the rights of accused priests, often at the expense of victims -- a concern formed in part by his experiences in Communist-controlled Poland where priests were often accused of trumped up charges by the regime.

The most damaging case linked to John Paul concerned the Rev. Marciel Maciel, the founder of the Legionaries of Christ, a conservative order beloved by the late pope because of its orthodoxy, fundraising prowess and ability to attract priestly vocations.

Allegations that Maciel had raped young seminarians were brought by the victims to the Vatican in the 1990s, but under apparent orders from John Paul's No. 2, a canonical trial was shelved.

Only after Benedict became pope was Maciel sanctioned in 2006; Maciel died two years later.

Despite the Maciel case, Vatican officials have said there was nothing in John Paul's record that put his beatification into question, and Vatican watchers on Friday noted that beatification isn't a "score card" on how John Paul administered the church but rather a recognition that he led a saintly life.

Carl Anderson, head of the Knights of Columbus, one of the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organizations, said John Paul's life was a model of "love, respect and forgiveness for all."

"We saw this in the way he reached out to the poor, the neglected, those of other faiths, even the man who shot him," Anderson said in an e-mail to the AP. "He did all of this despite being so personally affected by events of the bloodiest century in history."

The Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano described his saintliness in these terms Friday: "A passionate witness to Christ from his childhood to his last breath."

The last remaining hurdle before beatification concerned Benedict's approval that the cure of French nun, Sister Marie Simon-Pierre, was a miracle due to the intercession of the late pope.

The nun has said she felt reborn when she woke up two months after John Paul died, cured of the disease that had made walking, writing and driving a car nearly impossible. She and her fellow sisters of the Congregation of Little Sisters of Catholic Maternity Wards had prayed to John Paul, who also suffered from Parkinson's.

On Friday, Sister Marie Simon-Pierre said John Paul was and continues to be an inspiration to her because of his defense of the unborn and because they both suffered from Parkinson's.

John Paul "hasn't left me. He won't leave me until the end of my life," she told French Catholic TV station KTO and Italy's state-run RAI television.

Wearing a white habit and wire-rimmed glasses, she appeared in good health and showed no signs of tremors or slurred speech which are common symptoms of Parkinson's.

"John Paul II did everything he could for life, to defend life," she said. "He was very close to the smallest and weakest. How many times did we see him approach a handicapped person, a sick person?"

Last year, there were some questions about whether the nun's original diagnosis was correct. But in a statement Friday, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints said Vatican-appointed doctors had "scrupulously" studied the case and determined that her cure had no scientific explanation.

Once he is beatified, John Paul will be given the title "blessed" and can be publicly venerated. Many people, especially in Poland, already venerate him privately, but the ceremony will make it official.

Born in Wadowice in 1920, Karol Wojtyla was the youngest pope in 125 years and the first non-Italian in 455 years when he was elected pope in 1978.

He brought a new vitality to the Vatican, and quickly became the most accessible modern pope, sitting down for meals with factory workers, skiing and wading into crowds to embrace the faithful.

His Polish roots nourished a doctrinal conservatism -- opposition to contraception, euthanasia, abortion and women priests -- that rankled liberal Catholics in the United States and Western Europe.

But his common touch also made him a crowd-pleasing, globe-trotting superstar whose 26-year papacy carried the Catholic Church into Christianity's third millennium and emboldened eastern Europeans to bring down the communist system.

He survived an assassination attempt in St. Peter's Square in 1981 -- and promptly forgave the Turk who had shot him.

After suffering for years from the effects of Parkinson's, he died in his Vatican apartment on April 2, 2005, at the age of 84.

Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, John Paul's most trusted friend and aide who was at his bedside that night, gave thanks on Friday from Krakow, where he is archbishop.

"We are happy that this process came to an end, that what people asked for -- "Santo Subito" -- was fulfilled," Dziwisz said. "I express great joy on behalf of the entire diocese of Krakow -- and I think I am also authorized to express this on behalf of all of Poland."

The selection of May 1 as the beatification date is significant: It's the Feast of Divine Mercy -- a feast day John Paul himself inaugurated in 2000 after canonizing Sister Faustina Kowalska, a 20th-century Polish mystic to whom he was particularly devoted.

It's also May Day or labor day, what was once a major Communist holiday before John Paul helped bring down the Iron Curtain in Europe. While there was some irony in the date, few in Poland noted it and Poles today celebrate May 1 as a welcome and uncontroversial holiday like the rest of Europe.

285. Solo Session

Having a super early morning solo session @ Starbucks today.  I finally cracked open my blank moleskine that had been collecting dust for 2 years.  After a finishing my tall pike place drip, listening to some chill jams, reading 2 local papers, and 8 pages of free writing... I have to walk to work -  BAH!

Good morning and happy Friday!

284. Noble Sway

Noble Suit Co.

Hand tailored garments for the modern noble

This blog is for Jeffery;  One of my closest friends with the talent to take the grizzliest of men and turn him into the prince charming of the modern world.  Dedicated to making you look good in a suit, Noble Suit Company is here to measure you, fit you, and dress you from scratch.  All suits are hand tailored to fit you.

Jeffery has been a devoted fashionista forever, even prior to his graduation from AI Seattle.  He has held a plethora of jobs within the industry over the years.  It's inspiring and refreshing to see him step outside the norm and bring this type of clothing into the limelight.  I would highly recommend his work and suggest you enlist his expertise soon.  I have a feeling he's going to be busy very soon as Noble did just pick up an entire wedding party!

The labels came in last week and

I was blessed to catch a sneak peak!

STALK THEM:

Noble's Website

Noble on Facebook

Noble on Twitter

284. Remember the Name

"Remember the Name"
Fort Minor

My "get pump" jam.  Yes - get pump. lmao!

He feels so unlike everybody else, alone

In spite of the fact that some people still think that they know him

But fuck em, he knows the code

It's not about the salary

It's all about reality and making some noise

283. Little Wonders

I randomly heard this song on Star 101.5 this morning while commuting into worlk.  I love this song... it always makes me smile.  Meet the Robinsons was a pretty good movie too!

Let it go, let it roll right off your shoulder
Don't you know, the hardest part is over
Let it in, let your clarity define you
In the end we will only just remember how it feels

Rob Thomas "Little Wonders"

282. Live to Dance Sway

Watching "Live to Dance" via tivo.  I'm not a huge fan of the show but I am a HUGE fan of this particular dance group.  Twitch is a dance troupe from Miami, FL comprised of 8 females and 1 male.  This was their 2nd time performing on the show.  They did an amazing job!  I got chills :)

Talent: Alexandra Betancourt, Brittany Borges, Angela Cosculluela, Jessica Demlit, Katie Difede, Melanie Fernandez, Anthony Gonzalez, Deisha King, Ivenise Ruidiaz.

Music: "Apologize" by OneRepublic.

281. Welcome To Seattle Motherf**king Washington

In all the hype over the Seahawks BIG win this weekend - all the haters are surfacing.  Speak your piece and vent your opinion but in the end - we're in the playoffs and your team isn't.  Losing record or not - we still made it; instead of blasting us... maybe you should stop and think what does that say about YOUR own team?  Just sayin'.  Not to jump on the defense, I'm just hyped and ready for the Seahawks to win bigGER!

I read this article a few times and I have to say - it was well written and it hit all the 'just sayin' points.  Enjoy.  GO SEAHAWKS!

from: http://seattlesportsnet.com/2011/01/08/welcome-to-seattle-motherfking-washington/

Welcome To Seattle Motherf**king Washington

This is Seattle.


We’re not New York. Not Los Angeles. Not even Miami or Chicago. We’re America’s underdog. The forgotten metropolis. Crammed into the nosebleed section of the left coast. Where it rains a lot. Where coffee is constantly brewing. Where planes are made and apples are sliced. We’re overlooked and underappreciated.

The nation scoffs at us. They tend to forget that we even exist. When they mention us, it’s only to take jabs at the weather and the beverage of choice. Don’t act like you haven’t been gossiping behind our backs, America. We know how it is.

When it comes to sports, they treat us like a redheaded stepchild. They hijack our teams, tell us we aren’t supportive enough, put us amongst the worst sports cities in this great nation of ours, and occasionally slap the dreaded “mid-market” label upon us. The only mid-market we should be associated with is on the corner of First Avenue and Pike Street. We’re bigger than that. We’re better than that.

We’re the worst of the best, the best of the worst. A punch line with an area code. A needle away from being irrelevant.

We’re soggy, soaked, sorry, sub-par. We aren’t deserving of success. We aren’t respected for the accomplishments. Our victories are cheapened by the fact that we don’t “get it” and don’t know what winning really means.

This is Seattle. This is where we stand as a sports town. In America’s outhouse. We’re lepers. Loners. Losers.

And that’s why it’s time to gloat. Act like you’ve been there before, right? Wrong. According to them, we haven’t been there before and never will be. So suck on it, America. Because it’s time to pay homage to the Emerald City, the 206, the greatest city in the U.S.A., Seattle, Motherf**king, Washington.

You may not know this, but we have a professional football franchise. They just sh*t on last year’s Super Bowl champs. They took the worst regular season record for a division winner in league history into the playoffs and won a game they were supposed to lose. There are 32 franchises in the National Football League. By the time the Seahawks take the field next, only the fans of eight of those franchises will still have a pulse. Our pulse won’t just be beating, though. No. It’ll be racing. We’re like midgets on Red Bull. We go crazy for the postseason.

We have a college here in this town. The University of Washington. Surprisingly, it’s nowhere near the District of Columbia. Imagine that. Our college has a football program. They upset the Nebraska Cornhuskers in last week’s Holiday Bowl. Vegas cried when that happened. We’re perpetually out to bring tears to Sin City’s collective eyes. Oddsmakers hate us. I guess that means we beat the odds. Sexy.

Our college also has a basketball program. They’ve won six straight ballgames. They’re nationally ranked. They’re undefeated in Pac-10 conference play (Pac, short for Pacific, named after the Pacific Ocean, which is a larger body of water than the Mississippi River). You might not care right now. But it will matter in March. So don’t sleep on these guys. They’re a night terror waiting to happen.

In the past fortnight, these three teams have carried this city to one of the greatest two-week runs of athletic achievement in Seattle sports history. We’re on a seven-game winning streak. We’re taking on more than just opponents. We’re thwarting critics, naysayers, gamblers, sportswriters, talking heads, and haters. They might as well be motivators. Let the Cascades serve as our bulletin board. Tack the words of inspiration to Mount Rainier and let them loom in the distance.

We shouldn’t care what they say. We shouldn’t worry about everyone else. We should enjoy this for ourselves. We don’t need to tell the nation, we don’t need to tell the world.

F**k that.

Recognize, America. This is Seattle. And we’re kicking your ass right now.

P.S. Give us our NBA team back, dicks.

280. Beast Sway

This will never get old!
SUCK IT!

279. Morning Pie

Sweet or Savory?  F'it - get both!

That's exactly what I did this morning @ Sweet and Savory Pie in Fremont.  After receiving this fabulous email from Thrillist, I had Sweet and Savory on my "must try" list.  An early appointment and some extra time before I started work made it all happen.  I made the trek out to Fremont and found this spot with ease.  Midway up the block I could smell this wonderful aroma of goodness wafting in the air.  I was greeted by the owner and we struck up a conversation.  They are looking to expand fast, hire some new workers so that they can stay open later and produce more throughout the day.  They're also opening a "walk up window" to appease the late night pub crawlers (splendid idea!). 

The menu had lots of choices and I could see that they were all fresh baked that morning.  I opted for the bacon cheddar pie and a pecan mini.  Crust was perfect, flaky yet not insanely dry.  It had just the right mix of bacon, cheese, and fresh egg.  Although the product idea is marvelous and it tasted amazing - I was very erked to find my 2 bite pecan tart was $1+.  Otherwise, all was well!

I'm all for local business foodies and promoting them so - go eat some pie!

Website:  http://www.sweetandsavorypie.com/

Location: 

3515 Fremont Ave North, Suite B

Seattle, WA, 98103

Hours:

Mon - Wed:  8:00 am - 7:00 pm

Thurs - Sat:  8:00 am - 7:00 pm

Sun:  9:00 pm - 2:00 am

278. Salmaan Taseer

"You live life once, you live it by your principles and you live it courageously- that’s what it's about."
Salmaan Taseer 
(May 31, 1944 - assasinated January 4, 2011)

Articles and news about Salmaan (sometimes spelled Salman)

277. Know Your Worth

"The world is too big. There are an abundance of opportunities. If you believe in yourself (know your self worth), there is always room at the top for your talents somewhere in this world."
- Pravin Shah 1965

276. Primordial Scream Sway

Sometimes you get so caught up in life you start to bottle your thoughts and feelings.  Maybe not bottle but you digress and you push them aside and in that process you leave them to fester.  I am notorious for doing this and am working on it.  With that in mind, my memory takes me back to high school...

I had a religion teacher who had a very non-traditional teaching style.  The day before our finals, Ms. Gary told us to get up and follow her outside?!  She led us to the athletic field that overlooked our school campus.  She then guided us through some breathing exercises and then started to mentally prep us for a life changing exercise.  She told us to close our eyes and relax our shoulders, take a deep breath and will all our strength and might - SCREAM!  She then snapped at all of us who opened our eyes in surprise and said "DO IT! NOW!"  With much hesitation and awkwardness 26 Juniors gave a pathetic half scream/mini yell.  It raised a lot of eyebrows and a lot of giggles. Ms. Gary was serious about this scream and then proceeded to instruct us to do it again only think of all the stress and build up we have.  She told us to "reference the scream", hone in on the particulars that ailed us.  Find the root of our frustration and if we couldn't we were to just harness our pent up aggression and let it out.  We were to use this scream as a release of emotion, a break to any tension.  In a different mindset we all closed our eyes and screamed our asses off! 

Now it sounds stupid and childish.  I won't lie - it felt so very foolish at first.  However, I can't begin to tell you how therapeutic it really is.  It's practical, easy, free, and so liberating! The Primordial Scream... my therapy since 1997.  Try it - it will change your life!

pri·mor·di·al   /praɪˈmɔrdiəl/   [prahy-mawr-dee-uhl]

–adjective

1. constituting a beginning; giving origin to something derived or developed; original; elementary: primordial forms of life.
2.  Embryology; first formed.
3.  Pertaining to or existing at or from the very beginning: primordial matter.

 Origin: 1350–1400; ME < LL prīmōrdiālis of the beginning. See primordium, -al1

 —Related forms

pri·mor·di·al·i·ty  /praɪˌmɔrdiˈælɪti/

[prahy-mawr-dee-al-i-tee], noun

pri·mor·di·al·ly, adverb

275. Playoff Sway

WE'RE IN THE PLAYOFFS!
GO SEAHAWKS!

To all the naysayers and the bandwagoners - I don't even care about what you have to say.  Losing record losing shemcord - we're here baby!  That's all that matters.

Undefeated in 2011!

274. Commercial Sway

"The Future Can Change In an Instant"

ATT you suck but you're commercial gets me everytime!

273. New Years Sway

Is it good or bad that I didn't wake up with a hang over?

Following in tradition, I woke up slowly and later than normal.  Cooked breakfast.  Visited my parentals and Kenji's parentals and shared in some New Years banter.  Came home and took a 5 hour nap.  I just woke up on the couch next the Skeet who's passed out on my right, Kenji who's holding my hand to my left, and Greg to his left watching tv.  When the hell did Greg get here?

Not a bad start to the new year.  I'm well rested, surrounded by laughter, I saw my parents, I was lazy, and I'm full.  Hello 2011!